Public Housing & the Seattle Housing Authority#

The Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) is one of the largest public housing providers on the West Coast, serving 37,495 people across 18,221 households. SHA owns and operates 8,777 apartments and single-family homes at 376 sites across Seattle and administers 11,826 Housing Choice Vouchers (formerly Section 8). Nearly 80% of the people SHA serves are children, elderly, or disabled individuals, and 1 in 10 Seattle Public Schools students lives in SHA-supported housing. (SHA About Us)

SHA’s housing programs#

SHA operates three main programs that work together to provide affordable housing across Seattle.

SHA-owned housing#

SHA owns and manages 8,777 units of housing distributed across 376 sites throughout the city. These include large developments like Yesler Terrace, NewHolly, Rainier Vista, and High Point, as well as senior housing high-rises and scattered-site homes in neighborhoods citywide. Rents are set at 30% of household income for most residents. (SHA About Us)

Housing Choice Vouchers#

SHA administers 11,826 Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs), which allow holders to rent from private landlords with SHA covering a portion of the rent. As of 2024, 10,538 households were actively using vouchers. The average annual income of voucher-holding households is $17,721, or about 16% of the area median income. 87% of voucher holders are extremely low-income (below 30% AMI). (SHA Housing Choice Vouchers | Affordable Housing Online)

In February 2024, SHA opened its regular voucher waitlist for the first time since 2017. Under the new system, applications are accepted on an ongoing basis and applicants are randomly selected whenever vouchers become available, replacing the old process of periodic lottery drawings. (SHA Voucher Application)

Collaborative housing#

SHA partners with other housing providers and developers to create additional affordable units beyond its directly owned properties. These partnerships include project-based voucher arrangements where SHA commits vouchers to specific buildings operated by nonprofit housing developers. SHA’s 2025 plan includes 4,984 project-based vouchers. (SHA 2025 MTW Plan (PDF))

History#

1939: SHA established#

The Seattle Housing Authority was established in 1939 as the first public housing authority in Washington state. Jesse Epstein was appointed executive director, and SHA received $3 million in federal funds to develop Yesler Terrace. (HistoryLink: SHA Chronology)

1941: Yesler Terrace opens#

Yesler Terrace opened in 1941 as Seattle’s first public housing development and the first racially integrated public housing project in the United States. The 561-unit development served families earning the lowest incomes. (SHA Yesler Redevelopment)

1940s: Wartime housing boom#

During World War II, SHA used Lanham Act funds to build three large developments for defense workers: Holly Park (102 acres in southeast Seattle), Rainier Vista (65 acres in the Rainier Valley), and High Point (in West Seattle). By 1945, SHA managed over 8,400 housing units, mostly temporary prefabricated structures. (HistoryLink: SHA Chronology)

1958: Interstate 5 displaces Yesler residents#

Construction of Interstate 5 claimed six blocks of Yesler Terrace, destroying 263 units and displacing hundreds of residents. The freeway physically divided the development from the surrounding neighborhood. (HistoryLink: SHA Chronology)

1967-1968: Senior housing expansion#

SHA expanded into senior housing with the opening of Jefferson Terrace (300 units for elderly residents) in 1967, which drew over 1,600 applicants. A “turnkey” construction program beginning in 1968 produced 22 elderly high-rises and 141 family townhouses over four years. (HistoryLink: SHA Chronology)

1974: Section 8 program begins#

SHA began administering the new federal Section 8 rental assistance program, which allowed low-income families to rent housing on the private market with government subsidies. SHA also acquired the Morrison Hotel for single adults. (HistoryLink: SHA Chronology)

1978: Scattered-site program#

SHA launched a Scattered Site Program to decentralize public housing by purchasing and operating individual homes and small buildings throughout the city, moving away from the large-project model. (HistoryLink: SHA Chronology)

1981-1986: Local bond measures#

Seattle voters approved two local bond measures totaling $98.1 million for housing, reflecting strong public support for affordable housing investment. (HistoryLink: SHA Chronology)

1998: Moving to Work designation#

SHA was designated a Moving to Work (MTW) agency by HUD, one of the original 39 agencies in the program. MTW gives SHA flexibility to use federal housing funds more creatively, combine funding streams, and waive certain HUD regulations. SHA secured a ten-year extension in 2024, extending the program through 2038. (SHA 2025 MTW Plan (PDF))

1995-2010: HOPE VI redevelopments#

SHA received over $118 million in federal HOPE VI grants to redevelop three aging World War II-era public housing projects into mixed-income communities. See the HOPE VI section below for details. (SHA Redevelopment)

2013-present: Yesler Terrace redevelopment#

SHA began the $1.7 billion redevelopment of Yesler Terrace, its oldest and largest public housing site. See the Yesler Terrace section below for details.

HOPE VI redevelopments#

Between 1995 and 2010, SHA used federal HOPE VI grants to transform three deteriorating World War II-era public housing projects into mixed-income, mixed-tenure communities. SHA was distinctive among housing authorities nationwide for committing to one-for-one replacement of every demolished low-income unit. The three projects leveraged $118 million in federal grants into over $1 billion in total investment. (SHA Redevelopment)

NewHolly (formerly Holly Park)#

Holly Park was an 871-unit low-income development spread over 102 acres in southeast Seattle. Between 1997 and 2006, SHA redeveloped it into NewHolly, a mixed-income neighborhood of 1,390 units: 530 subsidized apartments for very-low-income renters, 338 subsidized apartments for lower-income families, 100 subsidized homes for first-time buyers, and 422 market-rate homes and apartments. The $47.1 million HOPE VI grant was leveraged into over $340 million in public and private investment. Streets were redrawn to reconnect to the area’s grid, and New Urbanist planning principles were applied. Phase one was cited as a national model for other housing authorities. (SHA NewHolly Redevelopment)

Rainier Vista#

Rainier Vista consisted of 481 units of World War II-era housing on 65 acres in the Rainier Valley. SHA received a $35 million HOPE VI grant in 1999 and replaced the original development with a planned 1,000+ mixed-income units. Phase 1 was completed in 2006, and by 2014 over 800 of the planned 965 units were complete. The 2009 opening of a Link light rail station adjacent to the development gave residents direct transit access to downtown Seattle. (SHA Redevelopment)

High Point#

High Point in West Seattle replaced 716 worn-out public housing units with over 1,600 mixed-income units. The $35 million HOPE VI grant anchored a $550 million total investment, including $285 million from the private sector. The project is recognized nationally for incorporating low-impact stormwater management, energy-efficient building design, and a community-driven planning process. Phase I construction began in 2004 and Phase II in 2006, with new amenities including a public library and neighborhood medical and dental clinics. (SHA High Point Redevelopment | HUD Case Study)

Yesler Terrace redevelopment#

The Yesler Terrace redevelopment is the largest public housing transformation in Seattle’s history – a $1.7 billion project to rebuild the city’s oldest public housing development into a 30-acre mixed-income, mixed-use neighborhood. (SHA Yesler Redevelopment)

The plan#

In 2012, the Seattle City Council approved SHA’s plan to demolish the original 561 low-income units and replace them with a new community of up to 5,000 units across the income spectrum. The plan commits to:

• One-for-one replacement: All 561 original units for families earning no more than 30% of area median income
• Additional affordable housing: Over 1,100 additional affordable units (at 60% and 80% AMI)
• Market-rate housing: Up to 2,000 units developed by private partners
• Resident protections: All residents living at Yesler when redevelopment began receive relocation assistance and first priority for new apartments

SHA partnered with Vulcan Real Estate and other private developers to build market-rate housing on parcels purchased from SHA, with the revenue funding replacement affordable housing. (SHA Yesler Redevelopment Planning | The Urbanist)

Buildings completed#

SHA has opened six new residential buildings at Yesler:

Juniper, SHA’s final planned building at Yesler, is under construction with 114 low-income and affordable units expected to open in 2025. (SHA Sawara Opening)

Private development partners have also been building market-rate and mixed-income buildings on the site, including towers of 21 and 23 stories. (The Urbanist)

Displacement concerns#

While SHA committed to one-for-one replacement and resident return rights, observers have noted that the redevelopment has accelerated gentrification in adjacent neighborhoods including Little Saigon and the Chinatown-International District. (Next City)

Current challenges#

Federal funding uncertainty#

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (signed July 2025) created new federal spending rules that SHA anticipates will reduce housing funding, though specific impacts remain unknown pending congressional appropriations. SHA is managing resources carefully and maintaining essential services, staffing, and development projects in its 2026 budget while preparing for potential cuts. (SHA Federal Impacts)

Emergency Housing Voucher wind-down#

Federal funding for the Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) program, created under the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act to serve people who are homeless or fleeing domestic violence, will end in 2026. SHA is developing options to support long-term stability for affected tenants. (SHA Federal Impacts)

Voucher utilization in a high-cost market#

Despite administering 11,826 vouchers, SHA had only 10,538 households actively using them as of early 2024 – an 84% utilization rate. Finding landlords willing to accept vouchers in Seattle’s expensive rental market remains a persistent challenge for voucher holders. (Affordable Housing Online)

Advocacy organizations#

Several organizations advocate for public housing, tenant rights, and affordable housing in Seattle:

• Housing Development Consortium (HDC): A coalition of affordable housing developers, service providers, and advocates working to increase equitable access to affordable homes in Seattle and King County. HDC estimates King County faces a shortfall of 149,000 affordable homes.
• Tenants Union of Washington State: A grassroots, membership-based organization founded in 1977 that provides tenant education, community organizing, and advocacy. Runs the Section 8 Tenants Organizing Project (STOP) and the Justice in South Seattle Project focused on anti-displacement in the Rainier Valley.
• Washington Low Income Housing Alliance (WLIHA): A statewide coalition of over 220 member organizations advocating for affordable housing policy. Organizes one of the state’s largest annual lobby days and led the successful campaign for Washington’s rent stabilization law.

Data sources#

SHA annual reports and plans#

SHA publishes annual reports and Moving to Work plans with detailed data on housing units, finances, demographics, and program outcomes.

• Annual reports: SHA 2024 Annual Report (PDF)
• MTW plans: SHA 2025 MTW Plan (PDF)
• MTW annual reports: SHA 2024 MTW Report (PDF)

Other data sources#

• SHA website: Program descriptions, news, and board meeting materials
• HUD Rental Assistance Demonstration: Federal program information for public housing conversions
• Seattle Office of Housing: City housing programs and funding data

Key statistics#

Sources: SHA About Us | SHA Housing Choice Vouchers | SHA 2025 MTW Plan (PDF)

Related resources#

• Housing & Zoning Glossary - Terms like “affordable housing,” “MHA,” and “displacement”
• Funding & Policy Glossary - Terms like “equitable development initiative” and “community land trust”
• HistoryLink: Seattle Housing Authority Chronology - Detailed SHA timeline from 1939 to present
• HistoryLink: Seattle Housing Authority Part 2 - SHA history and context

Last updated: February 2026